Texas Craft Brewers Confront Complex Laws

Craft brewers in the state of Texas are growing increasingly incensed at the way the state government has been treating their industry.

As the San Antonio Express-News reports, Brewers must face a labyrinthine set of laws if they hope to successfully run their businesses in the state. For example, if a craft brew pub wants to sell products from other beer makers, that's illegal. They can, however, sell wine or cider from other makers.

As Charles Vallhonrat explained to the Express-News after Prohibition, strict rules were created in Texas to separate the roles of beer brewers, distributors, and sellers. As a result, brewers say their industry is anything but a free market, and consumers are paying the price. They blame their difficulties on the corporate beer Lobby in Austin.

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